Scotland : Glasgow & Clyde Valley Pedal for Scotland

[Brandane]

In previous years I've crossed the start line at about 9am, in the midst of a huge crowd. This year I travelled through to Glasgow with a group and we set off from the Green at 10:30. Leaving so late meant no queuing, no bunching, no crowding and no danger

I left about 9:15 and it was quiet then!
I registered on the day, and was expecting to have to queue for that, but no - it was quiet too.
Set off to find the start line and thought that it would be a case of following the crowd and then queue for 20 minutes to cross the start line as I had to do last time I did PFS in 2011. Again, there was no crowd and no queue!
All along the route there were no bottle-necks as on previous years. Just a short wait at the Linlithgow bridge traffic lights.
Not sure if it is down to better organisation, or has there been a drop in numbers? It would be a shame if their greed for higher fees was beginning to kill it off. The weather was perfect so I was expecting a much bigger crowd at the start.

 

[Hardrock93]

That's interesting @Brandane. According to the BBC "This year more than 6,500 riders took part in the 47-mile Challenge Ride while 700 joined the 110-mile Sportive." So, that would indeed suggest that there were far fewer than the 8000? of last year.

 

[Brandane]

That's interesting @Brandane. According to the BBC "This year more than 6,500 riders took part in the 47-mile Challenge Ride while 700 joined the 110-mile Sportive." So, that would indeed suggest that there were far fewer than the 8000? of last year.

I think the writing is on the wall for PFS.. A lot of people, myself included, have now done it multiple times and it's beginning to lose its attraction. It cost me £30 entry fee, plus £20 for the return transport. Not excessive, but not insignificant either.

I wouldn't be in a hurry to do it again. I said that in 2011 too, and it was only the nice weather and lack of anything else to do on Sunday that got me doing it this year.

 

[Robert Clark]

Everyone is making good points here, hope the organisers take note.

 

[zizou]

Seems like the usual problems with the Edinburgh side of things. Closed road in Glasgow, closed road / lane for alot of the rest of the course (i think most in Falkirk council area) so well done to those councils it means things work pretty well for the numbers involved. Then when you get to Edinburgh its down a narrow cycletrack, which on a sunday morning is going to be busy with other users, cyclists, dog walkers etc. A cycletrack which in their wisdom they also send the family ride down to add to the congestion.

Every year its the same complaints but nothing changes.

That's interesting @Brandane. According to the BBC "This year more than 6,500 riders took part in the 47-mile Challenge Ride while 700 joined the 110-mile Sportive." So, that would indeed suggest that there were far fewer than the 8000? of last year.

The 8000 included the Edinburgh family ride so when that is included i think it will be roughly the same

 

[Col5632]

Its the cost that puts me off doing it again which is a shame cause its a great route

 

[GlasgowGaryH]

Its too dangerous for me, feel safer on the commute